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(No Model.) M. E. G. McK, WARD.

BODKIN. v

No. 510,943. Patented Dec. 19, 1893;

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UNififiiD' STATE 1 A'TENT FFECEG f MARIA E. G. WARD, OF NEYV YORK,N. Y.

BODKlN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,943, dated December 19, 1893.

Application filed February 18, 1393. erial No. 462,832. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARIA E. G. McKWARD, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and usefullmprovement in Bodkins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new form of bod-' kin having spring ends or tails adapted to keep the path of the ribbon open and flat.

So far as I am aware the earliest form of bodkin used for drawing ribbon, tape, &c., through fabric or loops of fabric, consisted of a piece of rounded steel or ivory, pointed at one end and having an eye by which the ribbon or tape to be drawn is fastened. The objection to this bodkin was that it rendered useless long lengths of ribbon, which were drawn through the eye, so that the ribbon would hold, while both were being drawn through the fabric, and that this bodkin had no means of preventing the tape or ribbon from turning while drawing it through the fabric.

I am aware of the bodkin shown and described in the United States Letters Patent, granted to Emma A. Williard on the 29th of March, 1892, No. 471,296, in which a bodkin is shown consisting of two longitudinally slotted plates, one superimposed upon the other and terminating in elastic jaws, which hold the tape to be drawn, as by reference to said Letters Patent will more fully appear; but I have found, that while this bodkin provides a better means of holding the ribbon or tape than those previously used, it still does not prevent the ribbon or tape from turning while being drawn, and thus requiring time and trouble to straighten it. It also has other disadvantages in that it cannot be used for all sizes of loops for the reason that its jaws are rigid and that when used in drawing ribbon through fine material, such as lace, the finger plates catch the material. To overcome these objections and to provide an improved form of bodkin which may be easily and very cheaply made, and which may be used without subjecting the operator to the delays and annoyances which arise with the forms of bodkins produced prior to my invention, I devised the bodkin which is shown in the accompanying drawings, the chief feature of which consists in having flat spring ends or tails adapted to keep the path through which the ribbon or tape is drawn open and extended thus holding the ribbon or tape flat as it is drawn. I make these spring ends V shaped with the side of the V elastic as shown in the drawings, for this elasticity enables the rear end of the bodkin to adapt itself to the size of the path for the ribbon or tape, within the limits of motion of the spring arms.

In the accompanying drawings similar letters of reference refer to similar parts.

Figures 1 and 2 show views in perspective of bodkins embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bodkin shown in Fig. 2.

My form of bodkin, may be made of any suitable material, such as steel or brass and the improvement consists of the blade, A, having the outwardly springing arms or tails B, B, and the slot, 0 for holding the end of the ribbon or other material to be drawn.

To facilitate insertion in the fabric I prefer to form my bodkin with a round or chisel point, .D, and I prefer to have all the edges of my improved bodkin rounded or smooth.

In Figs. 2 and 3 forms of bodkin are shown, in which the eye of the blade is cut so as to form the slot 0, with a narrow extension, 6, whereby the end of the ribbon can be securely held, or this eye or slot may be cut in the shape of a narrow V, with the same ehfect.

As the principal feature of my invention consists in the wide flaring spring ends or tails adapted to'keep the path of the ribbon open and extended,it is obvious that this may be attained in a number of ways, which will suggest themselves to a person skilled in this art, without departing from my invention; and I do not wish to confine myself to abodkin which is struck from one piece of metal, for it may be made of two or more pieces soldered together, and the penetrating point may be any desired shape.

My improved bodkin may be used in the following way: I insert the end of a piece of ribbon or other material within the eye or slot 0, so as to be held by the narrow extension 2, and then give the ribbon a quarter turn so as to place it flat on tep or below, or between the 2. As an improved article of manufacture, me d n ails, B, e fihe :p s th bod i c n sti g-efiabodmAmith p bodkin through the loops or casingydrawing ing,"C, therein, with extensiome, and having the ribbon therewith. flaring spring ends, B, 13, substantially as de 5 What I claim, and desire to secure by Letscribed.

ters Patent, is

1. A bodkin havingxflaring springendscor MARIA tails, and an eye in advance thereof for hold- \Vitnesses: ing the ribbon or tape, substantially as de- JAMES J. COSGROVE,

[o scribed. W. H. BERRIGAN, Jr. 

